The present invention relates to a portable computer structure, and more particularly to a portable computer structure including a module room suitable for receiving various replaceable modules.
A portable computer is generally equipped with various peripheral devices such as floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, battery, etc. Due to the compact size and carrying convenience of the portable computer, the peripheral devices are made to be replaceable modules which are inserted into the computer casing only when necessary.
Please refer to FIG. 1 which is a schematic diagram showing a conventional portable computer structure. The portable computer structure includes a module room 10 which has an opening 11 for receiving a replaceable module 20 therefrom. On the wall 12 of the module room 10 opposite to the opening 11, a receptacle unit 13 is mounted. After the module 20 is inserted into the module room 10 from the opening 11, as indicated by the arrow, a plug unit 21 on the rear side of the module 20 is coupled to the receptacle unit 13 to make electric connection. Generally, different modules have different types of plug units, so the receptacle unit in the module room is adapted to receive the plug unit of a specific module. In other words, one module room accommodates only one kind of module, and more than one module need more than one module room to rest in. Obviously, it will take much space of the computer structure to accommodate multiple modules.
Therefore, two staggered receptacle units are arranged on the same wall of each module room to alternatively accommodate two kinds of modules.
With rapid development of computer-related technique, however, two options of modules for each module room will be insufficient in the near future. Therefore, it is preferred that there are as many receptacle units as possible in each module room. If a third receptacle unit is further arranged on the same wall having thereon the first two receptacle units, the area of the wall will have to be enlarged, thereby enlarging the module room. As understood, the enlargement of the module room will render a large size of the computer casing as well as the module to be fit in the module room. It is obvious to run counter to the design principle of a portable computer structure.
On the other hand, it is preferred that the modules are replaced only when necessary. In other words, for a portable computer having two module rooms, it is preferred that the same module can be inserted into either one of the rooms. Although duplicated module rooms will be helpful for this purpose, the simple duplication of module rooms disadvantageously occupies the space of the computer structure.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable computer structure which includes a module room for alternatively receiving more than two kinds of replaceable modules without enlarging the size.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable computer structure which includes duplicated module rooms for convenient replacement of modules and more than two kinds of replaceable modules.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a portable computer structure includes a computer casing and a module room located in the computer casing at a corner between a first surface and a second surface of the computer casing for accommodating a peripheral module having a plug unit on a rear side thereof. The module room includes a first opening located on the first surface, a second opening located on the second surface, a first wall opposite to the first opening, a second wall opposite to the second opening, and at least a first and a second receptacle units mounted on the first and the second wall, respectively. The peripheral module is inserted into the module room from the first opening when the plug unit of the peripheral module is coupled with the first receptacle unit, and the peripheral module is inserted into the module room from the second opening when the plug unit of the peripheral module is coupled with the second receptacle unit.
Preferably, the module room further includes a third and a fourth receptacle units respectively mounted on the first and the second walls. The peripheral module is inserted into the module room from the first opening when the plug unit of the peripheral module is coupled with the third receptacle unit, and the peripheral module is inserted into the module room from the second opening when the plug unit of the first peripheral module is coupled with the fourth receptacle unit. If all of the receptacle units are designed to be different, four types of plug units and thus four kinds of peripheral modules can be received in the same module room. On the other hand, if the first receptacle unit is identical to the second receptacle unit and the third receptacle unit is identical to the fourth receptacle unit, the same peripheral module can be inserted into the module room from either opening, depending on the user""s posture or habit. In this case, however, the first receptacle unit is preferably different from the third receptacle unit, and the second receptacle unit is preferably different from the fourth receptacle unit so that it is assured that two kinds of peripheral modules can be optionally received by the single module room.
Preferably, the portable computer structure further includes another module room located in the computer casing at a corner between a third surface and a fourth surface of the computer casing for accommodating another peripheral module having a plug unit on a rear side thereof. The two module rooms are isolated from each other for example by a partition plate. The third and the fourth surfaces can be the same as the first and the second surfaces, respectively. The arrangement of the receptacle units in the two module rooms can be identical or different. If the arrangement is identical, the same peripheral module can be placed in either of the module rooms and exempt from frequent replacement. If the arrangement is different, relatively many kinds of peripheral units can be used with only two module rooms.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a portable computer structure includes a computer casing and a module room located in the computer casing at a corner between a first surface and a second surface of the computer casing for accommodating a peripheral module having a receptacle unit on a rear side thereof. The module room includes a first opening located on the first surface, a second opening located on the second surface, a first wall opposite to the first opening, a second wall opposite to the second opening, and at least a first and a second plug units mounted on the first and the second walls, respectively. The peripheral module is inserted into the module room from the first opening when the receptacle unit of the peripheral module is coupled with the first plug unit, and the peripheral module is inserted into the module room from the second opening when the receptacle unit of the peripheral module is coupled with the second plug unit.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a portable device structure includes a casing, and a module room located in the casing for accommodating a module having a connecting unit on a side thereof. The module room includes a first opening located on a first surface of the casing, a second opening located on a second surface of the casing, a first wall opposite to the first opening, a second wall opposite to the second opening, and at least a first and a second connected units, the first connected unit being mounted on the first wall, and the second connected unit being mounted on the second wall. The module is inserted into the module room from the first opening when the connecting unit of the module is coupled with the first connected unit, and the module is inserted into the module room from the second opening when the connecting unit of the module is coupled with the second connected unit.
The peripheral module can be a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a battery, or any other module adapted to be used in a portable device.